Assembly for automatically compensating variations in the spacing between two structural members

Abstract

An assembly for automatically compensating variations of the spacing between first and second structural members due to manufacturing and/or mounting tolerances. The assembly comprises a bolt, a nut and a compensation sleeve. The compensation sleeve has left-handed external threads adapted to be threadingly engaged with mating left-handed internal threads of the nut, and a clamping portion adapted to be connected to the nut via frictional drag and rotatable relative to the bolt when said frictional drag has been overcome, such that the bolt when being rotated causes the compensation sleeve to rotate so as to be unthreaded from the nut. When the compensation sleeve has engaged the first structural member, the frictional drag will be overcome, and the bolt can be threadingly engaged with right-handed internal threads of the nut or the compensation sleeve for clamping the first and second structural members together. As a result thereof variations in the spacing between the first and second structural members will be automatically compensated.

We claim:  
     
       1. An assembly for automatically compensating variations of a spacing between first and second structural members due to manufacturing and/or mounting tolerances, comprising: 
       a bolt having external threads of a first spiral direction, being adapted to extend through said first and second structural members, and comprising a head adapted to be supported against said first structural member,  
       a nut having internal threads of an opposite second spiral direction and adapted to be fixed to said second structural member, and  
       a compensation sleeve having a sleeve-shaped annular member with a through-bore and external threads of said second spiral direction mating to said internal threads of said nut, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient finger sections being defined by longitudinal slots in an end of said sleeve-shaped annular member so as to form a clamping portion-adapted to provide for frictional drag between said compensation sleeve and said bolt, with said compensation sleeve being rotatable relative to said bolt when said is frictional drag has been overcome,  
       such that said bolt when being inserted into said compensation sleeve in an insertion direction and being rotated causes said compensation sleeve to rotate due to said frictional drag therebetween so as to be threaded from said nut in a direction opposite to said insertion direction for compensation of variations in said spacing, and said bolt when said compensation sleeve will have engaged said first structural member is adapted to be rotated relative to said compensation sleeve so as to threadingly engage internal threads of said first spiral direction for clamping said first and second structural members together.  
     
     
       2. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said clamping portion comprises a resiliently expandable spring portion of an internal diameter smaller than an outer diameter of said bolt. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said nut bas a first threaded section comprising said internal threads of said second spiral direction, and a second threaded section comprising said internal threads of said first spiral direction for clamping said first and second structural members together. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said through-bore of said compensation sleeve has a smooth wall. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said through-bore of said compensation sleeve is provided with said internal threads of said first spiral direction adapted to be threadingly engaged by the external threads of said bolt for clamping said first and second structural members together. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said internal threads of said clamping portion of said compensation sleeve comprise a first area of a smaller pitch diameter and a second area of a greater pitch diameter. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said compensation sleeve has an axial end provided with a flange engaging said first structural member when said assembly has been assembled. 
     
     
       8. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said nut comprises a blind rivet nut. 
     
     
       9. The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said nut comprises a weld nut adapted to be welded to said second structural member. 
     
     
       10. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said nut is integral with said second structural member. 
     
     
       11. The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said head of said bolt is adapted to be supported against said first structural member via a washer.